Toby is a whippet who was injured after being hit by a car. This picture is prior to the accident. (Source: Facebook)

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – For Toby, it’s a good day when he can just lounge in the sun.

He’s come a long way in the past two-weeks. He was hit by a car after learning how to open the front door.

“He got hit by a car, suffered from a broken back, a dislocated hip and a bunch of internal injuries,” explained his owner Karen James.

“He ultimately had to go to surgery,” said his vet Dr. Ira Zaslow with Lauderdale Veterinary Specialists.

It took a team of vets to save Toby. They’re amazed at how well he’s doing.

“He fought to stay alive,” said Dr. Zaslow. “He knew what we were working on and he allowed us to do the work.”

The young whippet is a rescued pet that escaped an abusive past and now cheated death after massive injuries, but this comes with a hefty price.

“The initial quote just to do the surgery was $7,500,” James said.

But the bill quickly ballooned to $20,000. Karen James and her husband knew it would be expensive. She shared her story with Facebook friends, just looking for emotional support – she got a lot more than that.

“The outpouring was just tremendous, within hours people were begging me to set up some kind of donation site,” said James.

Strangers from all over the world donated $4,200. Karen wants to pay it forward — and so do the folks who saved Toby at Lauderdale Veterinary Specialists.

They want to start a fund so people don’t have to decide if an injured pet lives or dies because of money. Karen plans to give a large chunk of what was given to her to kick it off.

“If the pets can be saved, we should be able to make that choice instead of saying we can’t afford it,” she added.

That fund to help other animal-lovers in need is not set up yet, but to follow the status, visit Facebook.